World Cancer Day, ASTRO Mentorship Awards, Last call for public comment on bladder guideline
February 4, 2026
| World Cancer Day 2026: ASTRO and ESTRO Joint Statement |
| To commemorate today's World Cancer Day, ASTRO and ESTRO collaborated on a joint statement that calls for a unified effort to unlock modern radiation oncology’s full potential. The statement affirms each organization's commitment to ensure that the progress achieved in radiation oncology is fully recognized, supported and accessible for the benefit of all people with cancer worldwide. View the statement. |
| New ASTRO President's Spotlight: Samuel Marcrom, MD |
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| Watch the latest talk between ASTRO President Neha Vapiwala, MD, FASTRO, and Samuel Marcrom, MD, the program director at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Marcrom talks about his past work with ARRO and how he and other residents started the popular QuadShot News website and daily email with the latest advances in cancer care. |
| 2026 ASTRO Mentorship Awards – Nominations now open! |
| The ASTRO Mentorship Awards recognize outstanding mentors in radiation oncology who have made a lasting impact on the next generation of clinicians, educators and researchers. Awardees will be celebrated at the ASTRO Annual Meeting and receive an award plaque, public recognition and exclusive benefits. Nominations are open until March 9. View more details along with how to submit. Nominate the mentors who’ve shaped your career today! |
| Your voice matters: Help strengthen the radiation oncology workforce (in five minutes!) |
| Please help the Workforce and Early Career Committees by completing a short, mobile-friendly survey about job satisfaction and burnout. Radiation oncologists who have not yet completed the survey received a personalized email Friday, January 30, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern time. Contact the Membership Department by February 8 if you have not received an email. |
| Live Medical Student Q&A – Invite a student to join! |
| Know a medical student interested in oncology? Encourage them to attend ASTRO’s upcoming Live Medical Student Q&A on Wednesday, February 11, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time. These interactive sessions are designed to explain how radiation therapy is used to treat cancer, explore career paths within radiation oncology and share tips for success in the residency application process. Featured speakers include Grant McKenzie, MD, Piedmont Radiation Oncology (Attending), and Rehema Thomas, MD, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Resident). Encourage the medical students in your life to register today! |
| Time is dwindling – Register now for this month’s two Multidisciplinary Symposiums |
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🗓️ New: Multidisciplinary Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Symposium – February 17-18, Palm Desert, California 🗓️ Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium – February 19-21, Palm Desert, California Join your colleagues in less than two weeks at one or both of these meetings to learn and collaborate on the latest research and treatment options in RPT and H&N cancer care. Bonus: Register for both meetings to get a 25% discount on the second meeting. We look forward to seeing you there soon!
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| Last call for public comments, due February 9, on ASTRO’s first guideline on RT for bladder cancer |
| ASTRO requests feedback on the draft guideline on Radiation Therapy for Bladder Cancer. The guideline scope includes the use of radiation therapy in bladder cancer in the upfront, definitive setting and the postoperative and metastatic settings. Discussions of indications for radiation therapy, techniques, and integration of systemic therapies in these settings are also included.
Please review the guideline and submit comments through the webform by Monday, February 9. You can also access the draft guideline and webform at www.astro.org/PublicComment. |
| Three-day partial shutdown ends, critical cancer research funding ensured |
| On February 3, the House passed and the President signed into law a FY 2026 government funding package that provides $47.2 billion for the NIH, a $415 million increase, and $7.374 billion for NCI, a more than $180 million increase. The bill also extends telehealth flexibilities through 2027. For more, please visit What's Happening in Washington. |
| ROCR gains more bipartisan cosponsors |
| Momentum for ROCR continues to build thanks to the addition of two bipartisan cosponsors in Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Ted Lieu (D-CA). You can tell your representatives to cosponsor ROCR using our convenient grassroots tool. See more at What’s Happening in Washington. |
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| APEx welcomes new facilities |
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Congratulations to the following facilities for achieving accreditation through ASTRO’s APEx - Accreditation Program for Excellence®:
And, congratulations to the following facilities for achieving reaccreditation through APEx:
View a list of accredited facilities and contact ASTRO staff to learn about the new options for accreditation and why APEx is the right choice to accredit your radiation oncology practice. |
